Why a comprehensive car insurance policy matters
Table of Contents
Road accidents in Malaysia have been steadily on the rise over the years.
Ever thought how great it would be if a car insurance policy isn’t mandatory? Or how much we’d all be able to save every year if only we could renew our road taxes without being insured? When you’re done reading about Malaysia’s road accident statistics that follow, you might just end up having second thoughts …
Officially, how does Malaysia fare in terms of road accidents?
According to the Malaysia Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), road accidents in Malaysia have been steadily on the rise over the years, from 250,429 cases in 2000 to 414,421 cases in 2010. Percentage wise, that’s a 65.5% jump in only a decade.
In terms of fatalities caused by road accidents, the numbers have also been escalating, from 6,035 cases in 2000 to 6,872 cases in 2010. Though the figures seem somewhat less drastic compared to the rise in overall road accidents, keep in mind it actually means that there’re approximately 19 fatalities caused by road accidents every day – which is surely a cause for concern.
Malaysia’s road accident statistics
|
Year |
Population |
Vehicles Registered |
Road Accidents |
Road Casualties |
Road Deaths |
|
1995 |
20,096,700 |
6,802,375 |
162,491 |
52,152 |
5,712 |
|
1996 |
21,169,000 |
7,686,684 |
189,109 |
53,475 |
6,304 |
|
1997 |
21,665,600 |
8,550,469 |
215,632 |
56,574 |
6,302 |
|
1998 |
22,179,500 |
9,141,357 |
211,037 |
55,704 |
5,740 |
|
1999 |
22,711,900 |
9,929,951 |
223,166 |
52,937 |
5,794 |
|
2000 |
23,263,600 |
10,598,804 |
250,429 |
50,200 |
6,035 |
|
2001 |
23,795,300 |
11,302,545 |
265,175 |
50,473 |
5,849 |
|
2002 |
24,526,500 |
12,068,144 |
279,711 |
49,552 |
5,891 |
|
2003 |
25,048,300 |
12,819,248 |
298,653 |
52,741 |
6,286 |
|
2004 |
25,580,000 |
13,828,889 |
326,815 |
54,091 |
6,228 |
|
2005 |
26,130,000 |
15,026,660 |
328,264 |
47,012 |
6,200 |
|
2006 |
26,640,000 |
15,790,732 |
341,252 |
35,425 |
6,287 |
|
2007 |
27,170,000 |
16,813,943 |
363,319 |
33,999 |
6,282 |
|
2008 |
27,730,000 |
17,971,901 |
373,071 |
32,274 |
6,527 |
|
2009 |
28,310,000 |
19,016,782 |
397,330 |
31,417 |
6,745 |
|
2010 |
28,910,000 |
20,188,565 |
414,421 |
28,269 |
6,872 |
Source: Malaysia Institute of Road Safety Research
In terms of the latest figures from a global authority, World Health Ranking had Malaysia ranked at 20th for Death Rate caused by road traffic accidents – which is higher than any other country in South East Asia with the exception of Thailand.
According to World Health Ranking, Malaysia currently has approximately 34.5 cases of fatalities caused by road accidents for every 100,000 population. Comparatively, Singapore (ranked 175th) and China (ranked 67th) measure at 5.3 and 20.8 respectively. Both a country that is significantly smaller and a country that is significantly larger are doing way better than us, which is certainly food for thought.
But the situation is getting better, right?
Unfortunately for drivers in Malaysia, there isn’t a lot suggesting that our road accident situation is getting better. Quite the opposite, the experts are predicting that things are going to get much worse.
According to the latest research by MIROS, road fatalities in Malaysia are expected to rise to 8,760 cases by 2015, and all the way to 10,716 by 2020. To put things into perspective, that’s approximately 29 people having their lives taken away by road accidents every day by the year 2020. Worrying trend? Absolutely.
Road fatalities forecast
Source: Malaysia Institute of Road Safety Research
Still think you don’t need that comprehensive car insurance?
With the worsening trend in road accidents within Malaysia, there is little indication that we would be marching towards a nation where car insurance is optional any time soon. On the contrary, past statistics and future forecasts are pointing to the fact that we do need that comprehensive car insurance policy, simply because our chances of getting caught up in a car accident are increasing by the years.
To all iMoney readers: do attempt to adopt safer driving behaviour starting today and make our roads safer for everyone. If we all do our parts, there’s always a chance that things might turn out different!
Love this article? You may wish to read up on the 7 things you should do in a car accident.
Looking for a comprehensive car insurance policy? Compare the best car insurances in Malaysia and apply for one for FREE directly on our car insurance comparison table.
